Muslim immigrants make a growing share of the U.S. population. Migration creates opportunities but also brings health challenges that are intensified by experiences of discrimination. Cross-national evidence points at a Muslim disadvantage in labor markets and economic integration, in the workplace and within the healthcare system. Experiences of marginalization and discrimination of Muslim immigrants negatively affect mental health. Stigmas associated with mental health disorders among Muslim populations as well as the structural and institutional barriers prevent access to health care and counselling services.

Studies on migration and health investigate stress, associated with migration and accommodation to a new social setting, but less attention is paid to the cultural context in which stress and coping occur. Cross-national research emphasizes the role of religious coping for immigrants, which moderates the relationship between stressors and mental health. Althrough religious coping framework is well-established for Christian populations, research on Muslim religious coping among immigrants in Western countries point at conflicting evidence on the role of religion as a buffer of stress.

Muslim immigrants had experienced more insecurity in the context of Trump’s presidency and exclusionary rhetoric and policies. This panel seeks to explore experiences of Muslim immigrants in the context of the current political climate, and complex role that religion plays for immigrants. We invite papers that discuss the link between religon and mental health, and address marginalization and stigma, religious coping, cutural contexts of stress response and resilience of Muslim immigrants.